1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rack-mounted storage libraries for handling and storing media elements such as cartridges and for reading and writing to the media elements using media element players such as drives. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rack-mounted storage library having a robot assembly operable for moving through the rack interior in order to handle media elements supported by the rack in which the capacity of the storage library is expanded by mounting segmented storage library panel assemblies formed of tear-apart panel segments to the rack with such panel segments supporting media elements and/or media element players.
2. Background Art
An automated data storage library generally includes media storage elements such as cartridges, media element players such as drives, and media element handling hardware such as a media element handling robot assembly. The library includes individual cells which hold respective cartridges. The robot assembly includes a picker which is operable to move about the library and manipulate cartridges held in the cells. The picker is generally operable to remove cartridges from the cells and drives in the library and load the cartridges into the cells and the drives.
Certain storage library designs such as rack-mounted storage libraries enable the libraries to be expandable for capacity upgrades. Many rack-mounted storage library expansion solutions require complex installation techniques at the library user's site. Some solutions require costly robot assembly duplication, while other solutions require skilled personnel to link existing robot assemblies with the expansion mechanics.
For example, a capacity upgrade may involve adding more storage library modules in a stacked configuration with pass through robotics connecting the individual enclosures of the storage library modules. Other solutions offer a capacity improvement that involves adding additional guide ways (rails) for robot assembly hardware already existing in the storage library. The new guide ways enable the picker to access new slots. In both cases, it is a problem to add capacity to the storage library because additional robot assembly hardware is required. It would be desirable if storage library capacity expansion did not require manipulation, addition, modification, etc., to the robot assembly already part of the storage library.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,245 discloses an example of a rack-mounted storage library which suffers from the problem of requiring additional robot assembly hardware to accommodate capacity upgrades. The capacity of the disclosed storage library is expanded by inserting additional storage library modules into the rack of the storage library. Each additional storage library module increases the storage library capacity by adding more cartridges and/or drives.
Each storage library module includes a drive shaft for moving a picker. The rear of the enclosures form a U-shaped channel for receiving a pulley system. The pulley system moves the picker to and from the drive shafts of the storage library modules in order to move the picker amongst the storage library modules. As such, adding additional storage library modules necessitates adding additional robot assembly hardware. In this case, adding additional drive shafts is needed to accommodate the additional storage library modules.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,515,822 discloses another example of a rack-mounted storage library which suffers from the problem of requiring additional robot assembly hardware to accommodate capacity upgrades. This disclosed storage library includes storage library modules vertically stacked on top of one another or vertically stacked in a rack. A linkage mechanism extends through the storage library modules. The linkage mechanism movably supports a robot assembly through a channel formed by the storage library modules. As such, the linkage mechanism is robot assembly hardware. The capacity of this disclosed storage library is also expandable by stacking additional storage library modules and/or inserting additional storage library modules into the rack. Either of these techniques necessitates replacing the original linkage mechanism with another (typically longer) linkage mechanism and/or necessitates adding another linkage mechanism to the original linkage mechanism.
A related problem with such rack-mounted storage library expansion solutions is that the capacity upgrades are not cost effective. For example, the storage library of U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,245 is expandable by inserting additional storage library modules into the rack of the storage library. Each of these storage library modules includes, in addition to cartridges and/or drives, a power supply, controller I/O circuitry, operator panels, and robot assembly hardware. A metal enclosure houses all of these elements. Such storage library modules cost more than storage library modules having cartridges and/or drives while being void of the other elements such as robot assembly hardware, power supplies, a metal enclosure having enough structure to support these elements, etc.
Thus, it would be more economical if capacity upgrades to the storage library were done using storage library expansion panels having cartridges and/or drives with the functions of the other elements such as robot assembly hardware, power supplies, operator panels, controllers, etc., being handled by elements already supported within the rack. Such storage library expansion panels having only cartridges and/or drives would weigh less than the disclosed storage library modules of U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,245. As a result, the rack of the storage library would not require welds or rivets to support such storage library expansion panels and further would not require as much structure to support the storage library expansion panels as opposed to that required by the storage library rack disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,245.